14 random ways to be kind at work (and why it matters)

Work smarter, better, and faster with weekly tips and how-tos.

Be kinder than is necessary. Everyone is fighting some kind of battle.

These 12 simple words, clipped from the local newspaper, occupied a tiny sliver of real estate on my mother’s refrigerator door for years. Although the clipping, along with the refrigerator, is long gone, it still pops up as the angel on my shoulder in moments where I’m presented with a choice to be kind or be… umm… unfiltered.

Work smarter, better, and faster with weekly tips and how-tos.

Each of us could fill a book with the people who challenge our best intentions (and ability!) to be kind. And that is exactly why kindness is so important. There’s a lot of negativity and crap out there already – no need to pile on.

The catch is that the moments in which kindness has the biggest impact are the same moments in which being kind is really frikkin’ hard. But practicing kindness daily – building a little muscle around it – helps.

Turns out the office is a great place to do that. You’re there (physically or virtually) five days a week, interacting with a variety of people, some of whom are probably on your “challenging” list.

In Europe, Australia, and the United States, roughly 1 in 4 people will experience mental health issues like depression or anxiety – which affects a whole lot of family members, partners, and friends as well.

A combined total of 25 million Europeans, Australians, and Americans are unemployed – again, affecting millions more.

Relay the positive feedback you heard about someone’s work if they weren’t there to hear it first-hand.

Better yet, offer some positive feedback yourself with a hand-written thank you note! Here’s a little inspiration from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation:

Leave sticky notes with messages like “You got this” or “You’re the reason someone smiled today” on the bathroom mirror.

When you head to the kitchen, offer to grab any dishes from your teammates’ desks and bring them to the sink.

Instead of criticizing in a moment of frustration, write it in an email to yourself. Send, wait a moment, then read it. If it still seems important after those few minutes, by then you’ll probably have thought of a kinder, more constructive way to say it.

Brew another pot of coffee when you take the last cup.

Bring lunch to the person who is “in the zone” (but also needs to eat).

Re-share / RT posts referencing a teammate’s work, and add a bit of commentary for a personal touch.

Smile.

Kindness grows in a virtuous cycle

As Emila Earhart, once said “No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another.”